Material steamer



April 24, 1962 N. H. WARRING MATERIAL STEAMER Filed June 18, 1959 INVENTOR.

3,030,711 MATERIAL STEAMER Norman H. Warring, 24737 Calvin, Dearborn, Mich. Filed June 18, 1959, Ser. No. 821,146 2 Claims. (Cl. 34-73) This invention relates generally to material steaming apparatus, and, more particularly, to a new and improved apparatus for steaming wood and the like for preparing and softening the same for the purpose of bending it into a desired shape.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a material steaming apparatus which is especially adapted for steaming pieces of wood, as ship ribs and the like, and which is constructed to permit quick and easy movement thereof from one place of use to another.

It is another object of this invention to provide a material steaming apparatus of the class described which is simple and compact in construction, portable, economical of manufacture, and efiicient in operation.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a material steaming apparatus which is especially adapted to steam wood pieces such as boat ribs and the like and which includes means for supporting the material being steamed with said means being adapted to be releasably secured to the material to be steamed before being mounted in the steaming apparatus.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts of the several views.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a material steaming apparatus made in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front end elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1 taken along the line 2--2 thereof and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a partial elevational longitudinal sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2 taken along the lines 3--3 thereof and looking in the direction of the arrows; and,

FIG. 4 is an elevational sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1 taken along the line 44 thereof and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, the material steaming apparatus of the present invention comprises the tubular body 10 which may be made from any suitable material and which is enclosed at the rear end thereof by the plate 11. The plate 11 is fixedly secured to the body 10 by any suitable means as by welding. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the open front end of the body 10 is adapted to be closed by the removable cap structure generally indicated by the numeral 12. The body 10 is supported by means of a pair of legs generally indicated by the numerals 13 and 14 with the front leg 14 being at least one inch shorter than the rear leg 13 to permit drainage towards the front end of the body 10. The legs 13 and 14 are similarly constructed and the construction of the leg 13 is fully shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. The leg 13 comprises a horizontal ground engaging bight portion 15 from the ends of which extend upwardly the vertical leg portions 16 and 17. The upper ends of the leg portions 16 and 17 are swingably mounted on the horizontally disposed outwardly extended shafts 18 and 19 which are fixedly mounted at the side of the body 10. The legs 13 and 14 are thus seen to be substantially U-shaped in cross section. The leg 14 is constructed similarly to the leg States Patent T 3,030,71 l Patented Apr. 24, 1962 13 and the corresponding parts are marked with small reference numerals followed by the small letter a.

The cap structure 12 includes the gasket 20 which is adapted to be seated over the open end of the body 10, as shown in FIG. 3. The gasket 20 is held in place on the body 10 by means of a cover member which includes the plate 21 which is provided with the integral annular lip 22 which encloses the gasket 20 and extends longitudinally of the body 10. It will be seen that the annular lip or flange 22 is disposed outwardly from the body 10 to provide a passage for escaping steam as more fully described hereinafter. The cover means 12 further includes a steel b and spring 23- which is fixedly secured to the outer face of the cover plate 21 by means of the rivets 24. The cap structure 12 is adapted to be releasably secured on the body 20 by means of a spring Wire retainer means which is U-shaped in cross section and which comprises the bight portion 25- and the leg portions 26 and 28. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a spring wire retainer leg 26 is adapted to be swingably mounted on the shaft 27 which is fixedly secured to one side of the body 10. The other leg 28 of the spring retainer means is adapted to be similarly swingably mounted on the shaft 29 which is disposed on the other side of the body 10 at a point diametrically opposite to the shaft 27. It will be seen that the spring retainer means is adapted to have the bight portion 25 engage the steel spring 23 in the centrally disposed concave portion 30 of the spring 23 whereby the cap structure 12 is releasably secured in place on the body 10. The cap structure 12 willbe easily and quickly removed from the body 10- for loading purposes by merely swinging the spring retainer means off of the spring 23 and to the side of the body 10. It will also be seen that after the steam pressure builds up in the body 10, the steel spring 23 will flex to permit-the gasket 20 and cover 21 to move outwardly from the body 10 to let the steam escape from the body llland reduce the pressure therein, and act as a safety valve.

As shown in FIG. 1, the material steamer apparatus of the present invention includes a steam generating means generally indicated by the numeral 31. The steam gencrating means 31 comprises a short piece of tube which is fixedly secured to the lower side of the body 10 adjacent the front end thereof. The tube 31 communicates with the body 10 from the opening 32 and the lower end of this tube is enclosed. A suitable heating coil, as for example, a 750 watt electrical heating coil 33 is suitably mounted upon the outer surface of the tube 31 and is adapted to be connected to any suitable source of electrical power by means of the lead wires 34 and 35.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a workpiece as 36 is adapted to be held in the tube 10 for steaming purposes by a plurality of work supporting members generally indicated by the numerals 37, 38 and 39. Each of these work supporting members is constructed in the same manner and only one has been fully shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the work supporting member 37 is formed from a suitable metal wire like material and includes a lower curved portion 40 which is adapted to be seated on and meet with the lower inner surface of the tubular body 10. The central portion of the part 40 is provided with an upwardly curved form as indicated by the numeral 41 to permit the drainage of water indicated by the numeral 42 to flow back to the steam generating tube 31. The work supporting means 37 further includes the vertical legs 33 and 34 which are integral to the ends of the base portion 40 and which are provided on the upper ends thereof with a wavy portion as more fully explained hereinafter. The work supporting means 37 further includes the transverse cross piece generally indicated by the numeral 35 which is adapted to support the workpiece 36 in a recess 46 formed-oentrally ofthe "P311245. The workpiece 36 is adapted to be releasably clamped inthe recess 46 by means of a clamp Wire 47 which is adapted to have the ends thereof twisted around the upper Wavy ends of the legs 33 and Has shown in FIG'. 4. As illustrated'in FIGul, the-body 10 maybe provided'with a suitable pressure-indicating gauge 48', if-desired. Thebody 10 isprovided with the-vent49. The legs 13 and 14 are retaincdin the supporting position by the braces 5d and 51, the 'upperends of'whichare looped around the fixed =stud52-andheld thereon by the nut 53. The lower ends of the braces 50 and 51 are looped around the raised portionsSS and 56, respectively, on the legs. In operation, it will'be seenthat the material steaming -apparatus of the-present inventionis portable and may be quickly and easily moved about from place-to place as desired' The legs 13 and14 are swingablymounted and-may be swung close to the body for packing and travelling purposes. The workpiece -36" would first be ,mounted on the-plurality of the-work supporting means --as 37, 38 and 3-9 and then it would be-mounted in the tubular body 10. The steam generating tube '31 --would--then' be filled with water and the cap 12then .mounted in place. The lead wires 3-4 and 35 are then -connected to a suitable-source of electrical power and steam will be generatedin thetubular body 10. After the -workpiece'36' has been steamed for the desired length of time,'it mayfbe removed and bent into the desired shape. Experiencehas shown that a'materialsteaming apparatus ofthe present invention is efiicient in operation and may be quickly andeasily transported-to any 1 desired location.

-While'it will'be apparent that the preferred-embodiments of the invention herein disclosed are well calculated t0-fulfill the objectsabove stated,- it will be appreciated that=theinventionis susceptible to modification variation and change without departiug from theproperscope not fair meaning ofthe subjoinedclaims. 'As, for ex- I mounted leg means for supporting thetubular body in 'a downwardly and forwardly slopingposition; a'steam ing said cap means in place.

2. Amaterial steaming apparatus of the class described, comprising: an elongated tubular body having an open frontend; cap'means releasably mounted on the open front of said body for enclosing the same; swingably mounted leg means for supporting the tubular body in a downwardly and forwardly sloping position; a steam generating tube connected to said tubular body and dependingtherefrom adjacent the frontend thereof and adapted to hold water for conversion to steam for transmission into'said body; heating means connected to said steam generating tube; work support means for supporting-mater ial' in said tubular body in spaced apart relationship thereto for steaming purposes; and cap means including a spring means on the outer side thereof; a swingably mounted retainter .means connected to said body and engageablewith said spring means for retaining said cap to releasably hold a workpiece thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 24,230 Moore May 31, 1859 703,746 Seltzer July 1,1902 1,035,218 -Meade Aug. 13, 1912 .1;117,923 Stiles Nov. 17, 1914 2,087,413 'Ohme eta]. July 20, 1937 2,260,710 Gschwind Oct. 28, 1941 

